We see education as the most powerful lever for transforming north Minneapolis into a community of hope and vitality. 

— Harvest Network of Schools

Overview

Our Network

The Harvest Network of Schools became a charter management organization in 2015. What does that mean? It means that we are a nonprofit that creates and manages a group of public charter schools with a shared educational vision. We have a dedicated leadership team that manages academics, strategy, operations, and administration so each school's leaders can focus exclusively on creating a dynamic learning environment.

Our Schools

We manage a portfolio of high-performing K-8 public charter schools, which includes Harvest Preparatory School, Best Academy, andthe Mastery School. Together, these schools serve nearly 1,000 predominantly low-income African-American scholars, delivering a world-class education, and achieving some of the state’s highest math and reading proficiency rates for low-income children, English Language Learners, and children of color.

Why We're Here: Community Transformation

Education is the most powerful lever for achieving independence and prosperity for a community and its residents. We’re transforming north Minneapolis – home to our city’s most economically distressed neighborhoods – by educating a generation of children to their full potential. We accomplish this in partnership with their families and a diverse array of businesses, funders, civic leaders, and community members.We’re proud to continue a legacy of Black leadership in education. We’re a beacon of success in north Minneapolis and a source of employment and neighborhood stability. As a public charter school, we welcome all children.

How We Work: Caring Culture

We organize our schools around the academic, moral, physical, spiritual, and cultural needs of our children. It takes a village to raise and nurture the whole child, and we’ve quilted together a community of resources, relationships, and enrichment opportunities to support each of our scholars. We respect and partner with our families for their children’s success. We recruit and develop a diverse staff with the commitment, skills, and mindset to challenge and uplift our children. Our cultural traditions enrich our learning experience.

What We Deliver: Academic Results

We prepare our children to succeed by using best practices for instruction and continually assessing and improving our approach. We model for our scholars how to set and achieve goals. We serve as a proof point for what all schools can and should achieve, especially for Black children. We work one-on-one with each scholar to achieve educational success, create engaging classrooms that celebrate children’s natural energy and curiosity, and respond to children’s cultural, academic, and developmental needs. Children leave our schools with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to take on the world. Not only do most of our alumni have success in high school and college – several have come back to work in our schools!